


After Graduation - The Beginning

by crowcawcaw



Series: After Graduation [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2013-03-21
Packaged: 2017-12-03 22:02:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowcawcaw/pseuds/crowcawcaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The beginning of a multi-chapter fic about the survivors after the ending of Dangan Ronpa 1. Eventually this fic will break off into three parallel stories under the series heading 'After Graduation' which will occasionally intertwine – one following Kirigiri and Naegi, the second Aoi and Hagakure, and the third Togami and Fukawa - as they each try to discover their place in the post-Despair world and with each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. So That's That

**Author's Note:**

> I have not read Dangan Ronpa 2, so nothing in this fic will have any relation to the canon of the sequel. Also, as of now I’m expecting this fic to maintain about a T rating, but certain parts with Fukawa/Syo may eventually dip into M because…well, you know. Comments/critique greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy!

Naegi’s breath caught in his throat. Staring out between the metal bars of the gate enclosing the school’s small cement yard, he looked down at the city which Hope’s Peak overlooked from its slight hillside vantage point. It was quiet – draped in a sickly gray mist, and lit by a circle like pale yellow butter, low in the eastern sky. And it was crumbling. Naegi felt Kirigiri grasp his hand firmly. Startled – however briefly, from the horrible feeling that was rising inside of him, he looked at her. Her face was set with an expression that Naegi found – as usual – unreadable. But the pressure of her hand in his he figured he understood. It was solidarity.

“I can’t believe it.” Aoi whimpered from his other side. He glanced at her. Her face, so full of hope just a few moments ago, was now an expression of shock – eyes round and hand pressed over her mouth.

“It…it might not be so bad,” Naegi offered, taking a tentative step forward as Kirigiri quickly let go. “Come on.”

The others followed him as he hurried up to the gate.

“Dammit, are we locked in?!” exclaimed Hagakure, aggressively seizing the bars. His voice echoed across the city below. No one answered him. Naegi looked half-heartedly at the brick wall, trying to figure how they would vault it, but while he did so Kirigiri vanished from Naegi’s side and calmly swiped her student ID card in the gate lock. The bars slid aside and they hurried through the gate to see the streets stretching out before them.

It was not so bad – Naegi realized. It was so much worse.

The skyscrapers that had once been plated were glass were shattered, their gleaming entrails sparkling in ominous heaps along the streets. Bullet holes perforated street signs, twisted, a heap of burnt and blackened metal revealed where a car may have once been parked and dark red streaks dried on the pavement served as a terrible reminder that people had come to try and free them after all.

A cell tower miles away had been topped with something that looked horribly like Monobear’s head. Just like in the ridiculous pictures.

But worst of all was the silence. He could hear each and every one of his companion’s breathing, rising and falling arithmetically from each other.

“W-well,” He said, turning around to face his peers, noticing as he did the pristine condition of Hope’s Peak Academy against the sordid background of destruction. “We…we all knew this was a possibility.”

He felt the sudden, scared need to justify the condition of the city, as if it had been his fault. They had just sacrificed a safe life in the school for this and Naegi’s life had been part of the incentives, whether they’d acknowledged it or not.

“So she was telling the truth.” Togami said. His face had blanched to a sickly, milky white, but he wore his old familiar sneer.

“The world’s…changed. But like we said. We can find a way!”

“Can we?” Aoi’s glowing confidence behind the door seemed to have shrunk tenfold. She looked as if she were about to cry. “I mean…what if we’re the only ones out here? If I opened a donut shop…no one would ever buy them!”

“Yeah, uh, I can’t live like this,” Hagakure interjected lifting up his left leg and sticking out his hairy foot uncomfortably close to Naegi’s face. “How am I supposed to cross the street?”

It was an unusually pragmatic complaint coming from Hagakure, Naegi acknowledged, glancing between Hagakure’s shoddy flip-flops and the broken glass coating the roads.

“Oh!” Hakagure suddenly struck his fist into the palm of his other hand decisively. “I will divine for us the safe path – one where all the glass pieces will lie flat!”

“Uh,”

“That will lead us to safety!” He closed his eyes and began chanting under his breath.

“Well, I don’t have time for this,” Togami said coldly. “I’d say it was nice knowing all of you, but really, it wasn’t. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to return to the Togami family high-rise. Seems like I have a lot of work to do.”

“…I’m g-going with Byakuya-sama,” Fukawa muttered, twisting her braids violently in her hands as her eyes darted around the trashed landscape.

“Everyone hold on a moment.” Kirigiri said firmly. Everyone turned to stare at her. “We should think about our situation.”

“Our situation? We were all stuck together when we were trying to get out of that school,” said Togami, “But now I see nothing tying us together.”

“That’s a rather foolish thing to say and I think you know it,” Kirigiri said coolly. “Of course there’s something binding us together. We’re the graduating class of Hope’s Peak Academy and all the remaining survivors who had access to Junko’s broadcast know it. That makes us now both the target of other members of Despair and a rallying point for those who still have hope, possibly to rebuild the world. Those are neither dangers nor responsibilities to take lightly.”

Togami frowned. “I am perfectly aware of our situation and also perfectly aware that if I am to make the most of it I need prompt access to my inheritance. Do whatever you want Kirigiri-san, but I am returning to where I belong.”

“…finally he is revealed to be… a super-high-school-level heir!” Hagakure mumbled to no one in particular.

Kirigiri had a small, sad smile playing across her lips. “You really think wealth and status will protect you in this world now?”

“It’s about connections and influence, you silly girl,” Togami said haughtily. “People my family know will still be alive and out there – people with power and strongholds. Once I find them – that’s where the true rallying point begins. That is how I can rebuild the world.”

“…True,” Kirigiri said thoughtfully after a pause. “You have a point. But you don’t know if those people with power before the event are even on the same side now. With so much to lose, very many of the people you rubbed shoulders with could have fallen into despair. Members of despair will act fast, but so will members of the resistance. I guarantee members of the resistance – people who cling to hope and by definition are our allies – will seek us out before you have time to pick and choose allies for yourself. Both are probably on their way now.”

Naegi looked between the two of them, his head spinning. Of course what Kirigiri said must be true. It very much looked like Junko had told the truth about everything in the outside world, and if that was the case that meant Hope and Despair were still at war and they hadn’t left it behind in the bloodied rooms of the school.

“Wait!” Aoi suddenly spoke up. “Before we go and try and hide, or find the resistance, or visit Togami’s house…”

“No one is visiting my ‘house’,” muttered Togami darkly.

“…there’s something we need to do first!”

“What’s that Asahina-san?” Asked Naegi. Aoi balled her hands into fist, an incredibly determined expression taking over her face.

“We…we need to remove the bodies of our friends from the school. We need to give them a proper burial. We owe them that much.”

A silence fell as Naegi felt a wave of nausea thinking about the death of his friends, a horrid, hollow feeling that only the panic of imminent death for himself and others had managed to keep at bay. Aoi was right, of course she was. Their friends were still locked, cold and frozen, in that terrible place. They had died. Sacrificed their lives, in Sakura’s case quite intentionally – so that they could all be here alive today. They were never coming back. But if they could help put their souls properly to rest…that was something they had to do!

“Of course we will,” said Naegi, even though the idea of walking back into the school they had fought so hard to escape suddenly terrified him more than he was willing to admit.

“Thank you Naegi-kun.” said Aoi solemnly.

“Naegi – ” said Kirigiri. She was frowning.

“…Kirigiri-san?” Naegi asked, puzzled. “Surely you understand we have to bury our friends…it’s only right!”

“Yes…it is. But we can’t do it now.” She said. “It’s not safe – we don’t know where to move them or even how to move them. I don’t even know if the four of us could properly carry Sakura-san or Yamada-kun. That will take a lot of time and planning we don’t have, we need to get somewhere safe.”

“But we can’t just leave her here!” Aoi said angrily. “She’d do the same for us. All of them…I-I mean…” She trailed off, her eyes brimming with tears.

“…I understand,” Kirigiri said, she reached out and grabbed Aoi’s shoulder, surprising her. “I want…to give a proper burial to my father as well. But now is not the proper time. It appears the electricity in Hope’s Peak is still running, only the air generator turned off, so the body storage in the biology lab should still be running. We can return when it’s safe.”

“…Okay,” said Aoi finally, rubbing tears out of the corners of her eyes. “You’re right. Okay.”

“So…what do we do now? Do we wait for the resistance to find us?” Said Naegi, now thoroughly confused about their course of action. There was a growing, nagging urge in the back of his mind to go home. Just go home. But his stomach backflipped as an image of slashed seat cushions and a gaping hole in the wall swam before his eyes. No, he couldn’t think of his family yet. He’d find out…where they were. He would. But for now he would just have to trust Kirigiri-san, she had never steered him wrong yet.

“We need to find a safe place to hide,” Kirigiri-san said. “I think I know just the place. Unlike the Togami family high rise, it’s likely no one will know about it because it is one of my own hidden headquarters I once used as a detective. It’s small and simple, but safe. And I know how to find it.”

“But…Kirigiri-san, your memories, how - ?”

“My file,” she returned promptly. “And the viewers will have no idea because Junko was controlling Monobear while you were my distraction. We can hole up there and begin reconnaissance to see if we can find any signs of what exactly has gone on and who is hidden where.”

“And you don’t think Junko and her little party of despair would have been there already, do you?” Togami sneered.

“The trapdoor is password protected,” Kirigiri-san explained calmly. “It said the headquarters were locked on the file. Even if Junko did bother to encourage members of Despair to specifically ransack this old place – which, in the grand scheme of things seems to me like a waste of her time – obviously no one was able to get in. Anyway it’s the best plan we’ve got.”

“And you think you’ll be able to figure out the password?” Naegi couldn’t help but ask.

“If not I have you,” She said with a small smile. “You seem to know me almost as well as I know myself Naegi-kun, I’m sure we can think of an answer.”

Her statement didn’t make Naegi feel particularly confident. But he nodded anyway. She was right, it was the best plan they had. He glanced at the others. Togami was positively glowering at Kirigiri-san. I’m sure he had really wanted to go home, Naegi couldn’t help but thinking. Then he abruptly regained his composure.

“If members of Hope and Despair are going to descend upon the Togami family high-rise, then I have to act now to secure the files and supplies I need before they get there,” He said quickly, staring off fixedly into the distance. “Tell me where your stupid hiding place is and I will join you lot after I have completed my errand.”

“I thought you might say that,” Kirigiri said thoughtfully after a pause. Then, to Naegi’s bewilderment, she began unbuttoning her coat. From an inside pocket she withdrew two unusually slim walkie talkies.

“I found these in the Monobear control room. I believe one was Junko’s and the other she relieved from her sister’s body after their became no more need for the two of them to communicate. The technology they’re made from is quite superior, and Alter Ego informs me that they are very efficiently solar powered and can be used indefinitely.”

“Alter-Ego?” Asked Naegi, his heart beating a little faster. To his excitement, the pixelated rendition of Chihiro Fujisaki’s head materialized on the screen of each device.

“He helped me downloaded himself after the 5th trial.” Said Kirigiri.

“Hello, my friends!” Said Alter Ego’s voice as he beamed at them. Naegi smiled back.

“Alter Ego…I never got to thank you for saving my life,” He said earnestly.

“Don’t thank me at all!” Squeaked Alter Ego, though a blush of pixels appeared on his face. “I’m so happy that I got to do something to help my friends. I want to be a real member of the team.”

“So we still are a team, then!” Said Aoi, straightening her collar, the life back in her eyes. “Thanks for thinking this all through, Kirigi-san. I think we’re going to be okay with you and Naegi-kun to lead the way! And Alter Ego!”

“The path of least glass is…this way!” Hagakure finally yelled, pointing dramatically.

“Unfortunately we have to go east,” said Kirigiri. Hagakure sighed.

“My poor feet.” He grumbled, “I may never again be able to read my future in my foot lines after this journey…”

“Anyway, here Togami-kun. Take one and when you are done with what you need to do, meet up with us and we can share our findings,”

Begrudgingly, Togami accepted.

“Fine.”

“Good luck,” She said.

“Yeah, good luck Togami-kun,” said Naegi. He couldn’t help but feel a little worried and was glad Kirigiri had thought of using Alter Ego. “Stay safe.”

Togami crossed his arms and stare off into the distance. “Worry about yourselves. I’ll be fine. I am – ”

“Super-high-school-level Perfection, after all?” Naegi interjected with a small smile. Togami eyed him suspiciously.

“I was going to say Togami Byakuya, heir to the Togami empire and future leader of Japan. But I suppose that is also correct.”

Oh well, Togami had almost smiled – Naegi thought to himself.

“Alright then, we should move,” Said Kirigiri stepping forward. Naegi, Aoi, and (gingerly) Hagakure fell into step behind her.

“Wait, Fukawa-san, are you coming?” Asked Naegi. Fukawa bit her lip and shook her head vehemently.

“I…I go wherever Byakuya-sama goes.” She stuttered, her face red.

“You won’t… you won’t separate us!” She shrieked. Naegi glanced up at Togami worriedly, who was eyeing Fukawa inscrutably. Fukawa had an alternate personality who was the serial killer, Genocider Syo. Naegi hadn’t thought about it till now, but now that they were outside the school where murders had been punished by execution…what would keep Syo from bursting out and resuming her demented ways? Especially with boys that turned her on, of whom Togami was undoubtedly the, er, favored candidate.

“Are…you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Naegi asked, barely believing the words were leaving his mouth. Aoi made frantic ‘no’ hand gestures behind them and Hagakure stared at him in abject alarm. Bringing Fukawa with them was only putting himself and the others in danger (especially Aoi, who Syo seemed to have an especial vendetta against). But on the other hand he fancied that they as a group had a better chance of monitoring and controlling Syo when she appeared. While Togami had been nothing but awful to them inside the school, Naegi far from wanted him dead and was sure if he kept the company of Fukawa and Syo he would inevitably end up in terrible danger.

“No! No, no no no!” Fukawa clasped her hands frustratedly to the side of her head, refusing to look at them. “The world is ov-ver! There’s nothing l-l-left but me and Byakuya-sama…the world’s last star crossed lovers…”

Suddenly a change came over her; she clasped her shoulders, seeming enraptured by the idea.

“Ah yes, who but us left to save the world with our love, to repopulate the earth!!! I will give Byakuya-sama a million babies! I don’t care how much it hurts to push them out – ”

“Shut up will you!” Togami commanded, looking disgusted. He turned to meet Naegi’s eyes.

“Just go.” He said haughtily. “I can handle this…thing. She will carry some of my belongings.”

“I will carry Byakuya-sama’s belongings until my back breaks!” She panted, her eyes shining with happiness at Togami's cruel words. Naegi felt he would never understand her.

“…Are you sure?" He asked dubiously. “Aren’t you worried about…you know,”

“Like I said before,” Togami sneered, “Worry about yourselves. For now this is goodbye.” Without another word he began striding off in the opposite direction, Fukawa dogging dreamily in his footsteps.

“So that’s that, then,” Said Naeigi, shrugging his shoulders. He took one last glance at Hope’s Peak Academy and felt a tightness in his chest. But as he turned his face to Kirigiri’s, he felt it loosen slightly. They had escaped. They had a plan. Most importantly they had each other.

“I think we should plant a sakura blossom tree,” said Aoi suddenly. Naegi looked at her. “Over the graves of our classmates. I think they’d like that.”

“That’s a fitting idea,” said Kirigiri quietly, “The sakura tree is used to represent the ephemerality of life after all. The sacrifices of youth.”

“And it’s beautiful,” said Aoi, her eyes filling up again. She looked around despairingly. “But…I don’t see a tree in sight. It looks like they were all killed.”

“Well don’t get discouraged just yet,” said Kirigiri. “The hideout is at the foot of a forested range of small mountains. Life might still be there. Anyway, we should get moving.”

And they started out down the ruined streets. Naegi walked next to Kirigiri as she led the way. Aoi and Hakagure took up the rear, bickering as Hagakure kept stepping on the back of her trainers in order to try and walk on what rubbish she’d already flattened down, and occasionally yelping at dilapidated dwellings which ‘reeked of the occult’.

“Thank you again, Kirigiri-san,” said Naegi.

“There’s no need for either of us to be thanking each other at this point.” She said plainly, brushing her hair behind her ear. “We’re in this together after all.”

Naegi thought back to that strange moment when she had clasped his hand, back when the door had opened, and for some reason saw it a little differently. He allowed himself to smile, but not to think too hard, about other things he could be hopeful for in the days to come. They were in this together, and for now that was all that mattered.


	2. The Long Walk

“Ah, Kirigiri-san, if we are not at this hideout soon I really think I will cry,” Grumbled Hagakure plaintively, leaning on an irritated Aoi’s shoulder to balance himself as he lifted up his sandal. He pulled out a bent nail which had lodged itself in there, narrowly missing his toes.

“It’s your own fault for wearing such unpractical footwear.” Aoi retorted, shoving him off her unceremoniously. “One should always wear comfortable shoes so a quick workout can be fit in anywhere! You would trip in those things if you tried to run more than a meter.”

“I have already tripped…this is too unfair…”

Aoi folded her arms and flounced away from him until she was abreast with Kirigiri.

“Uh…Kirigiri-san, it _isn’t_ that much farther, is it?” Aoi ventured quietly after a pause. She rested her hands on her stomach. “What I wouldn’t give for a donut right now…”

Naegi didn’t want to voice his own exhaustion and hunger, but they had been walking for much longer than he was sure he had ever walked in his life. He thought back on his past day as a painful twinges shot through his shins. When they had left Hope’s Peak it had looked to be a little after dawn, and with Kirigiri’s plan things looked like they just might not be so grim. Then day had gotten hot and smoggy –  the four of them struggling to hold back their coughing, and wipe away their streaming eyes.

They had only stopped to rest for less than an hour, to eat in a small, upended soba-ya noodle bar which Kirigiri deemed to have an acceptable coverage of tinted glass. However the only meal they had available had been to share some squashed granola bars Hagakure was dubiously hoarding in his coat and taking some (doleful, for the rest of them) swigs of protein powder swilled in water from the small bottle Aoi carried in hers. Then they had continued to walk, the cityscape never getting any less ugly and broken, and now the sun was finally setting. The sky purpled like an angry bruise, licks of red appearing on the horizon with each passing minute as the sun seemed to collide with it. As if responding against his will to Aoi’s words Naegi’s empty stomach gave an audible gurgle.

“We’re getting close,” Kirigiri said, turning confidently at a cross street. Naegi wondered how often she had patrolled the streets of this city as a detective and how she could seemingly remember it so well when she had accused Monobear of tampering with her memories past what the rest of them had lost. “You see those hills?”

As they rounded the corner Naegi looked up and indeed saw dark bumpy shapes rising above the squatter buildings on the outskirts of the metropolis. Behind those were even taller crags, small mountains even. Naegi’s mind couldn’t believe they had made this much ground on foot, though his aching body was quicker to believe it.

“About an hour more should do it.”

“Kirigiri-san, how far do you think we’ve walked?” Naegi asked, his voice cracking from the dryness in his throat.

“Almost 70 kilometers, I’d estimate,” she said, stifling a yawn herself. “I apologize, but there was really no way we could safely stop anywhere for the night,”

She was probably right about that. Naegi thought back uneasily to the few scares they’d had over the course of the day. A dark figure sprinting in the distance had offset their course, prompting Kirigiri to deftly weave them through a number of side streets. Acrid smoke billowing from a building a few streets down again prompted a detour. There were other, smaller things too, like a sudden movement out of the corner of Naegi’s vision, and blinds that suddenly seemed to appear in a window where they weren’t before – things he wanted to believe he was imagining. What made the journey even longer and more lonesome was the fact that Kirigiri had advised against speaking too often, or too loudly, as the landscape they found themselves in was forebodingly quiet and even talking normally seemed akin to shouting. Hagakure’s wails especially seemed to ominously echo to whoever may have wanted to hear after he caught his foot in a street gutter – scraping up his palms and scattering his sticks of incense – crossly shushed by the girls and helped to his feet by a slightly unnerved Naegi.

He wondered why they hadn’t been approached – was it only due to Kirigiri’s quick thinking and movement, or was it due to something else? Did people, from a distance, not yet know who they were? Were people hiding from them, and if so whom? People who still had hope, or people forgone to despair and mobocracy? Or perhaps there really were only a few people left around here, and the close calls they’d had had been rare because people themselves were rare. The plausibility of this somehow bothered Naegi most of all, that they really were that alone.

“70…kilometers?!” Hagakure clasped his hand to his forehead in response to Kirigiri’s words. He sounded horror struck. “Humans were not meant to ever travel this far…have my legs been possessed?”

“I don’t think so,” Naegi prompted, because Hagakure had stopped moving again to stare suspiciously down at his own legs. Hagakure exhaled loudly and folded his arms.

“I’m just saying Kirigiri-san, this place better be worth it.” He said, resuming his drudging pace at the back of the group. “If we had gone with Togami-kun we probably could have been sipping drinks by the pool right about now.”

“You think Togami-kun really has a pool?” Said Aoi, sounding a little disheartened.

“Probably, he’s big rich jerk, right? Who would have thought…Togami-kun, heir to a giant inheritance. I should have charged him more to tell his fortune…”

“You really haven’t been paying attention, have you,” Aoi sighed.

Naegi unintentionally tuned out the rest of their conversation. The residential area they passed through was now looking uncomfortably like the one his family lived in, though he knew it wasn’t. Tight, two-tiered beige and cream colored houses with wide windows sat closely together, fences closing them off from the narrow streets. It would be a common enough sight for any neighborhood in Japan, if the windows weren’t intermittently smashed, cars spray-painted with a the horribly typical pattern of red, black and white, and the fact no well-groomed greenery rose up from piles of ash that had once been gardens.

As they crossed a small bridge over a brown stream, Naegi found himself treading lightly over the steel striations of telephone wires which had been slashed from their posts and now lay across the streets. It was almost ridiculous how totally destroyed everything seemed to be. How fast had despair taken hold during the last two years? How had it spread so completely? What devastation was new, and what was old? Naegi’s head spun just thinking about what this massive collapse of society had entailed. He wondered if some of powerful people the world looked up to had indeed made it to safety as Togami seemed so convinced of, and that made his thoughts return to Togami.  Had made it back to his building all right? Was it even still standing? Surely he and Fukawa were safe inside now, Naegi reassured himself. But they should check, just to make sure!

“Kirigiri-san, shouldn’t we check in on Togami-kun and Fukawa-san?” Naegi asked. But Kirigiri-san held up a finger for him to be quiet. She was frowning, then turned completely around, and began cautiously climbing down into the small ravine the bridge had stretched over.

“This way,” She called. “We’re getting close. Sorry Naegi-kun, but I think we should wait just a bit longer before making that call. It’s getting dark.”

As if to mark her words a cold wind brushed through them. It was nice to have a semblance of fresh air after inhaling that which had made them all nauseous and uncomfortable all day long, but the coolness of it made Naegi shiver and zip up his hoodie a little further. If they were still out when night fell…well he didn’t want to think about it. He and the others gingerly followed Kirigiri through scrubs of toughened, yellow grass down to the banks of the muddy stream. Treading on the slight, squashy embankment, Hagakure soon had new foot troubles to complain about as his exposed feet squelched heavily down in the cold, sandy dirt with each step.

“Kirigiri-san – ”

“Please be quiet,” Kirigiri commanded urgently, losing her tone of patience. The group spent the next thirty some odd minutes in a bleak, cold, and darkening silence. As they went, the houses became further and further apart, separated by wide yards of what Naegi was hopeful was more plant and wild life.

“Look Naegi-kun,” Aoi whispered in his ear, “Trees!”

The shape of a forest blanketing the foothills of the mountains loomed closer, and although Naegi couldn’t tell in the darkness what condition it was, the mere fact it was there cheered him. With a painful twinge he remembered going on walks with his family in a national park, smelling the earth and fresh streams. He forced himself to shake of the melancholy and returned Aoi’s wavering smile. After being locked in the school for so long it was good to see a bit of nature again.

“This is it,” said Kirigiri, climbing back up the banks and walking across a field sloshy with rainwater. Across it was a small, dark house, the roof looking ominously caved.

“Um, why did we take the stream, Kirigiri-san?” Naegi asked tentatively as mud splashed up the back of his pants, noting a long dirt driveway leading away from the house to what was likely a road.

“I suddenly had this feeling…this was how I used to get here, so I could tell if I was being followed – it’s really obvious if someone is behind you in the stream, there’s really no way to cut through all the streets and houses above it. It was good to take it; we know we weren’t followed now,”

“Oh yes, so good,” Said Hagakure with heavy sarcasm.

They approached the house.

“Uh, are you sure Despair wasn’t in here?” Aoi said nervously as they approached the small and dilapidated dwelling, raised up on a low, molding porch. 

Now that they were there Naegi saw that the cracked walls apparently seemed to have been reinforced with some sort of metal within the plaster. The door itself, bolted with a large padlock, had a huge dent in it. However Naegi would have felt optimistic about the condition of the house if it hadn’t looked like a huge wrecking ball had come down on the roof and completely smashed it in. As it was he was nervous even if they did manage to unlock it they’d find nothing but piles of the crushed ceramic tile, cracked boards and twisted metal sheeting which angled inward from the houses raised gutters. Kirigiri walked around the entire building a few times, looking high and low. Her face was serious as though she was thinking very hard. Naegi, Aoi, and Hagakure waited in anxious silence. Naegi sincerely hoped they hadn’t come all this way for nothing. He felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him and had to will himself to stay on his feet.

“Not…not where it counts.” She finally said. Kirigiri crouched down at the base of the house and crawled through the grass and a rip in the mesh beneath the porch. The rest of them stood watching the spot she had disappeared apprehensively.

“Uh, Kirigiri-san?” ventured Naegi after a moment.

“Follow me!” She called, her voice muffled. The three of them looked around at each other.

“Mm, ladies first,” mumbled Hagakure, gesturing toward Aoi with pseudo gallantry. Aoi frowned at him suspiciously, but seeming too tired to protest, dropped to her hands and knees and crawled after Kirigiri with Hagakure following behind her. As they disappeared Naegi took one last look at the sky. The moon had finally made its appearance – its large white large surface pockmarked with familiar craters in the gathering blackness. He didn’t realize he’d half expected to see Monobear’s face on it until he found himself being grateful that it didn’t, and allowed himself to smile at the fact that it – at least – was constant before crawling under the porch to join the others.

It seemed the house was raised on the supports ringing both the outside of the porch and a large, concrete pillar at its center. Naegi’s heart quickened as he realized that set in the pillar was a large, hexagonal door, looking like something that might appear on a safe. Naegi noticed it was engrained with a fingersized divot, and hung outwardly ajar. As he crawled round the pillar to face it head on, Hagakure’s fluffy head appeared, oddly filling the space behind the door. He gave Naegi a dubious expression, then slowly descended out of sight.

“Eeeeeh, it’s dark down here, oh!”

Suddenly a faint light emanated from the opening in pillar. Naegi turned himself around and hoisted himself backwards in through the door, resting his feet and then hands on what he could now perceive as a ladder descending into the hatch.

“Close the door after you, Naegi-kun,” Kirigiri’s voice called.

“Oh – right!” Naegi pulled the handle on the inside of the hexagon, which shut with a series of clicks, and descended into Kirigiri’s hideout below.


	3. A New Image

Feeling slightly nauseous, as though his body was still lurching forward even though he had long since been curled in an awkwardly sedentary position, Naegi awoke. He blearily blinked the sleep out of his eyes, for a mere moment expecting to hear the horrible, cutesy voice declare “It’s 7 o’ clock! Time to wake up, bastards!”

But no, they had escaped the academy…for a moment he felt only a thrill of jubilation, before everything came rushing back. Still, feeling curious and cautiously optimistic about where he found himself (alive and whole, at least) he sat up. When they had arrived in Kirigiri’s hideout the night before, the four of them had been able to do not much more than sit down, inhale the large pot of instant ramen Kirigiri had somehow seemed able to procure out of nothingness, and sleep where they lay. Now Naegi looked interestedly around at the surroundings his tired eyes had barely taken in the night before.

He was in a rectangular room only about half the size of the one he had lived in at Hopes Peak – furnished to serve as small but fully functional living quarters that were fairly well lit with several sunken ceiling lights. Along one longer wall there was the submarine like metal door Naegi had stepped through after climbing down the ladder shaft. The wall across from it was lined with a gas stove, a pantry cupboard, and several army green file cabinets. He himself was curled up on a roughish rug in the far corner next to an old trunk, and across from him on the other side of the room he could see a simple cot where Aoi’s silhouette rose and fell beneath a blue sheet. Looking away quickly, he saw beside the bed a narrow rectangular door slightly ajar, leading to a small lavatory where steam seemed to be dissipating from the corners of the mirror.

The center of the room only contained a plain kitchen table (under which Hagakure’s body was spread out awkwardly), and two straight back chairs. Kirigiri was perched on one of them, one leg crossed over the other and delicate fingers rested thoughtfully on her mouth as she gazed intently at the laptop open on the table in front of her. Naegi couldn’t help but notice she had changed out of her clothes from yesterday. She wore a long brown skirt now, and a floaty, long sleeved blouse of pale lilac. She hadn’t notice his awakening. Not wishing to be caught staring, Naegi looked down and gave a quiet cough.

“Oh, Naegi-kun,” she said distractedly. Naegi walked over and took the chair beside her.

“What are you looking at?” He asked curiously, “If you don’t mind me asking, Kirigiri-san,”

“Mm, old case files on my laptop. Trying to put together the pieces a bit more,” She responded. “I also was able to download Alter Ego, probably best to back him up as many places as possible.”

“Uh yeah,” said Naegi, who despite everything still found it hard to think of Alter Ego as a program rather than a person.

“This is quite the place,” He offered after a moment of silence. “How…how do you have electricity?”

“Underground generator,” She said. “And there’s running water as well, if you want to wash up. The only spare clothes stored in here are in my size, of course, but there’s a robe inside the door if you want to scrub your clothing and hang it up to dry. I don’t know why you slept in that hoodie, it’s positively coated with mud.”

“Oh, uh thanks Kirigiri-san,”

The water was chilly, but it felt so good to be rid of the itchy, polluted dust and grime, mud and sweat of the previous day. Naegi washed his hoodie and hung it on one of the wall hooks, but he felt too bashful to put on the slender, girlish robe as Kirigiri had suggested. Instead he made due with scrubbing the muddy knees and ends of his jeans before pulling back on them and his t-shirt. When he exited the small bathroom Aoi was sitting up on the cot.

“Morning, Naegi-kun,” She said, with a brave attempt at a smile before passing behind him and shutting herself in the bathroom behind him.

“So…what now?” Naegi asked, careful not to tread on Hagakure’s still comically prone form as he made his way back to his chair. “Did you find anything out in your notes? Anything about…I don’t know this universal despair we’re facing out here?”

Suddenly everything came rushing back, the inequitable loneliness of their situation.

“Are we supposed to find… people who still had hope?” He said. “How do we-?” He wanted to ask, _our families – how do we find out what happened to them?_ But Kirigiri knew what happened to her family. He couldn’t bring that up to her. And she probably knew better than he did what to do in the situation they were in, though at this point he felt most people would.

“I have a feeling; now that they know we’ve escaped…well people will want to leave signs. People have always left always traces of what they believe in, regardless of time in history or geography.”

“So…searching for like, clues and things?” Naegi asked apprehensively. Before this nightmare had begun he was sure he had never done any sort of puzzle work in his life, yet the past few weeks of his life had been packed to the brim with such a fervent need to put things together that he felt his head was still spinning.

 “Hmmm,” Kirigiri said, she had returned her attention to the laptop. “Well, this is the channel that Monobear was using?”

“Correct!” Piped up Alter Ego. Naegi glanced at the screen, it was filled with white noise.

“Defunct now, of course,” said Kirigiri. “But I wonder if there’s anyway someone can hijack the signal and start broadcasting.”

“You think members of the resistance will start broadcasting stuff?” Said Naegi. “That’s good, right? It’d probably help people start banding together again, if people are broadcasting about resisting despair and…and rebuilding the world and all that. It’d probably help us find them too.”

“Unless others besides the resistance hack the signal first,” Said Kirigiri.

“Oh,”

Kirigiri’s fingers flashed across the keyboard.

“I’ll do my best!” Alter Ego said, apparently in reply. Kirigiri leaned back in her chair and stretched, looking satisfied.

“Did you ask Alter Ego to hijack the signal?” asked Naegi.

“Yes. And lock it down for us within my laptop hard drive with whatever sort of coded wall he can come up with.” Said Kirigiri.

“So that’ll prevent anyone from despair from getting it,” said Naegi, “But…what are we going to do with the broadcasting signal? Get it to the resistance?”

“I’m not sure yet,” said Kirigiri, her expression inscrutable as she looked sideways at him. Aoi emerged from the bathroom, doing up her thick dark hair in a bun. She wore the same clothes as the day before, but had apparently decided to wash them with her in the shower and was thus still quite damp, a towel wrapped around her shoulders. She looked considerably more cheerful, however.

“It feels so good to be wet and clean!” She said, securing into place one last bobby pin. “The only thing that could make that a more satisfying wake-up call is a round, glazed donut! Or perhaps a maple bar!”

She squeezed behind them to open the pantry.

“Aw man, there’s nothing in here but a load of instant ramen,” She said. “No wait, hm, canned fish...canned vegetables. I could make us all instant oatmeal?”

“That’d be great Asahina-san!” Said Naegi. “Thanks!”

Aoi carried a pot to the bathroom, filled it up with water from the sink, lit the gas stove, and began dumping in packets of instant oatmeal.

“So what did I miss you guys talking about?” She asked after a moment.

“Uh, well,” Said Naegi as Kirigiri made no move to answer, looking lost in thought. “Kirigiri-san reckons that people who are resisting despair will leave signs, or, or give us a sign or something like that. And she has Alter Ego trying to connect to Monobear – Junko I mean – her video signal that she was using to broadcast us all over Japan. So…so any of her followers don’t try to keep using it to fill people with despair. Right Kirigiri-san?”

But whether Naegi had surmised the gist of Kirigiri’s actions properly he never got confirmed, for suddenly there was an ear-splitting crack like a gunshot, the three of them leaping to their feet.

“AAAAaaauuugh!” A wail came from under the table, which had shuddered with the rapport.

“You dumbass Hagakure!” Said Aoi angrily as Hagakure emerged, clutching his head and moaning. “You nearly gave us a heartattack!”

“Uuugh where am I?” His small eyes darted around frantically, “Underground?! Is this the den of an occultist?”

“For heaven’s sake it’s Kirigiri-san’s hideout! You know that, you climbed down here last evening!”

“Uh, oh hm, I’m not sure I remember,” said Hagakure, scratching his nose shiftily. Aoi turned around to the stovetop with a huff and began aggressively stirring the congealing mass of oats.

“Please feel free to use the shower, Hagakure,” Said Kirigiri, returning to her seat. “And wash your clothes while you’re there.”

“Eeh, I’m hungry,” He said, standing up and attempting to peer around Aoi to see what was cooking on the stove.

“You won’t eat until you’ve bathed, you stink!” Grouched Aoi.

“Okay, okay. Yeesh, no need to get your hair in a knot,” said Hagakure moodily. He stumbled into the bathroom, the sound of running water shortly resuming.

“ _Cripes_ it’s cold!”

“Um, so what were you saying Naegi?” Asked Aoi. “Something about Alter Ego? I forgot.”

“Togami-kun!” Naegi suddenly said loudly. “And Fukawa-san!”

He looked at Kirigiri urgently. “Did you…we need to check and make sure they’re okay!”

“Alright,” She said calmly, pulling the walkie-talkie from her pocket.

“Alter Ego?” She spoke at it. “Call Togami-kun,”

“Calling!”

Naegi leaned forward in his chair to look down at the screen, nervously. Alter-Ego’s digitized head spun periodically as something like a dial tone sounded. Aoi came over from her place at the stove to watch over Kirigiri’s shoulder.

“So you’re not dead,”

To Naegi’s relief the picture of Alter-Ego dissolved, instead was an image angled up at Togami’s scowling face, behind him a large, white marbled wall and column. He was staring at Naegi intently, as though x-raying him.

“Togami-kun!” said Naegi, “It’s good to see you’re okay – did you make it home?”

“Obviously,” said Togami, his lip curling. “Unless you think there are any other Greco-Roman baths in Japan sculpted with yule marble.”

“Er, no don’t worry, I don’t,” said Naegi with a grin.

“Experience any trouble along the way?” Asked Kirigiri. “We saw several people who might have seen us, we believe, but managed to lose them. It was quite a distance to where we are.”

“Indeed?” asked Togami, sounding interested. “Not such a foolproof plan then, was it? My high-rise was a mere three hours away.” He added imperiously, as though the buildings geographical proximity to Hope’s Peak was some measure of it’s worth.

“Yes, well, the important thing is you weren’t followed either,” Said Naegi. Togami glanced away broodingly.

“…Uh, you weren’t, were you?”

“It’s… a possibility,” He muttered.

“By whom, do you know?” Asked Kirigiri seriously.

“I’ll let you know when I find out,” Togami glowered. “I’ll have you know I’ve been hard at work all day today _and_ yesterday. I’d like to know what kind of progress you lot have made – hiding like a bunch of bugs under a rock.”

“All day?” Asked Aoi. “What time is it?”

“Is that Asahina? You’re not in the camera shot. Naegi your head is split in half. Honestly it’s like none of you imbeciles have ever done a video conference chat, you look like a group of technology illiterate grandmothers,” said Togami. “And anyway how should I know? Probably a little after four? I would have thought someone as pointlessly athletic as you could stretch their legs enough to look out the window.”

“Hey we walked like 70 kilometers yesterday! Kirigiri-san told us!” Snapped Aoi. “And we’re underground, we can’t exactly see anything.”

“Hm, your base has an electric generator then, I see,” noted Togami.

“Yes,” said Kirigiri. “And the Togami-family high-rise?”

“Well of course it _did_ but…” Togami looked angry, “A lot has been….damaged. In my absence.”

“I see.”

“So did you just call to gossip about your paranoia or do you have something of use to tell me?”

“We called to make sure you were okay!” Said Naegi, slightly affronted. “And Fukawa-san…is she there with you?”

“She’s…around…” muttered Togami, his eyes darting away from the screen for a moment as if to check his surroundings.

“Syo hasn’t made an appearance, has she?” asked Aoi apprehensively.

“I have everything under control,” Togami replied, irritated.

“Well we do have something interesting to inform you, as a matter of fact,” Naegi mentioned. “Alter Ego’s going to secure Monobear’s broadcasting signal for us! I’m not sure what for though…”

He glanced at Kirigiri for help but was surprised to see she was already staring at him, frowning.

“Really?” said Togami rather keenly, adjusting his glasses. “I had Alter Ego tune into the channel earlier to see if it was in use…hmm hijacking it for ourselves. I didn’t think that despite the advancements of these communication devices they would be able to handle locking down a broadcasting signal... Unless you have a computer Kirigiri.”

Kirigiri stared at him impassively.

“That was a clever. However if Alter Ego can control the channel I suppose we will be able to use it through these communication devices?”

“That remains to be seen.” Said Kirigiri. “But when you join us here the question may become irrelevant.” Togami’s eyes narrowed but said nothing in reply. Naegi was confused, it seemed as though both of them thought that securing the broadcasting signal had an obvious significance beyond keeping it out of despair’s reach, which could only mean Kirigiri and Togami were both thinking of using it. Naegi couldn’t imagine what they’d broadcast though.

“So what did you manage to find?” Kirigir pressed.

“Hmm?” Togami’s gaze had shifted back to Naegi, wearing the same pensive expression as before.

“Hmf. Like I said, my investigation is still ongoing.” He paused. “I do have something Naegi might want to see.”

“Me?” asked Naegi.

“Obviously…” He paused dramatically and stared intently at him, “One should report his findings directly to the city’s idol, after all.”

“Huh?”

Kirigiri’s body seemed to stiffen beside him. Naegi glanced at her. She looked didn’t look surprised, however.

“Well, go on and show us then,” She commanded calmly.

“Oh I want to hear it from Mr. Cult Personality himself,” said Togami with a hollow laugh. “How about it Naegi?”

“What are you talking about?”

Togami shook his head at him in a smug imitation of disbelief, rising to his feet. “Oh come on, surely you have realized your cultural capital after the stunt you pulled back there. Getting us all out? That’s why Kirigiri is so eager to get access to that broadcasting signal, you’re going to want him to use it. Isn’t that right?”

Kirigiri folded her arms. “There are many different possible outcomes to our escape that I have thought of; and locking down the broadcasting signal is beneficial to all of them. If what I think you’re insinuating is true, then you should be grateful that the resistance has the strength it does.”

“It says nothing about their strength in numbers or power, only about the speed and fanaticism of a few,” retorted Togami. “Come on, can you really be confident that they’ve chosen to flag mast _him_? If they seek him as a leader they’re going to be sorely disappointed. Naegi may be good at being _hopeful_ about things but it takes more than that to win a war.”

“And you think that’s exactly what he’s supposed to have to do? What you think that _you’re_ going to do?” Kirigiri gave him a withering look. “Just calm down and show us all exactly what you’re going on about.”

“…My head's on a flag?” Naegi guessed wildly.

“Better,” sneered Togami. Suddenly the camera view swayed wildly as Togami’s hands swung at his side, apparently walking somewhere. Naegi looked at Aoi, who shrugged back, looking bewildered as he did.

“Well,” said Togami after a minute or so, his face filling the screen once again. “Here we a– YOU!”

“GYAHAHA-”

The screen display became a whirl of color and then the muted dimness of a white carpet. There was a crash and the image shook as though the phone had – as though something heavy had aggressively struck the floor. Aoi yelped.

“Togami-kun?!” Naegi yelled. He, Kirigiri and Aoi crowded so close around the phone their heads were all touching.

“What’s going on?” He whispered, his heart pounding.

“Shhh,” said Kirigiri. The sounds of a scuffle seemed to be happening over the other line. Suddenly he heard several violent sneezes, abruptly cut short.

“…B-Byakuya-sama?” It was Fukawa’s voice, sounding oddly pitched and nasally.

There was the sound of footsteps, and to Naegi’s relief suddenly the image swung upward again to reveal Togami’s face, his hair disheveled and a small cut on the corner of his eyebrow. He tucked a small cylindrical container into the inside of his coat with his other hand, then fixed his askew glasses.

“I see the Genocider is no longer holding back,” Kirigiri said smugly. Togami scowled.

“She’s not trying to kill me…yet.” He said darkly, “She just – ”

“Likes to play with her food?” said Kirigiri, raising an eyebrow.

Togami didn’t respond.

“I’d be careful if I were you, Togami-kun,” She said.

“I’m being perfectly careful,”

“Not in just the way you deal with Genocider Syo, but in the way you treat Fukawa-san,” continued Kirigiri as though he hadn’t spoken. “You know she once spoke of trying to control Syo for you. Back at the second trial.”

“And she failed,” said Togami scornfully. “I could ask that pathetic individual to sleep in my own garbage and it’d only make her worship me more. Don’t forget that _she’s_ the one stalking me. If I had it my way I wouldn’t be treating her anyway at all!”

Kirigiri made no move to reply. Still looking disgruntled, Togami strode forward though what seemed to be a large and potentially expensive living room, though it looked a little worse for wear given the circumstances.  He came to a halt.

“Ready Naegi?” he asked, voice laden with sarcasm.

“Uh yeah.”

Togami slowly turned the screen so their view changed to that of looking out a very tall and long wall of windows. It was spider cracked and shattered in some places, but still held an amazing view of the crippled city before them. Centered in their viewpoint, a few blocks down, was a building topped by a large billboard that had once advertised a paled Cola ad.

Togami slowly turned the screen so their view changed to that of looking out a very tall and long wall of windows. It was spider cracked and shattered in some places, but still held an amazing view of the crippled city before them. Centered in their viewpoint, a few blocks down, was a building topped by a large billboard that had once advertised a paled Cola ad. The old ad was barely visible now, however. It had been defaced – but not by the crude Monobears that dotted the corners of the city. No, this one bore a new image, expertly graffitied with bright and crisp lines of black, red, and orange.

Naegi was staring at a 15 meter high image of himself – his face, rather, as it really must have been once; wearing an unwavering expression, his mouth opened as if in a declaration. It looked like a stylized photograph, likely modeled off a still from Monobear’s footage in which he had cried out the truth in the heat of a trial. Extending out from his face were the bright and brilliant red and orange lines, and boldly emblazoned on them words he had spoken less than 48 hours ago but what felt like a lifetime away:

_You Must Not Lose Hope!_

“Wha…?”

“I’ve been on the other side of the high-rise until this afternoon, but my guess is that this was put up only last night since it bears your clever little slogan.” Said Togami, too soon swiveling the phone’s picture back to his own face.

“I’ll leave you to figure out exactly what that means. I have work to do.”

And he hung up without another word.


	4. Broadcast and Breakup

“So…what you’re telling me is that aliens are leaving messages that Naegi is our leader now?”

The four of them were around the table eating bowls of oatmeal, Aoi having just filled in a dripping and shirtless Hagakure (who had wrapped up his sopping mass of hair in an absurdly bulging towel) on what Togami had showed them.

“No one said anything about aliens,” said Aoi.

“Look here,” said Hagakure, turning his palms up with the air of explaining something extremely obvious. “How else did this supposedly huge image of Naegi’s face get on a skyscraper in one night? Are you saying people did that? I suppose you think we built the pyramids and fast food shops sell you 100% real beef too.”

“Uh…”

Aoi and Hagakure were occupying the chairs while Naegi perched on the corner of the other side of the table, feeling perplexed (though not at the idea of aliens) and looking at Kirigiri. She was calmly eating off to the side and not meeting his eye.

“Of course it’s not aliens,” She finally said. “It’s the resistance Junko talked about. Instead of breaking them with her enforced broadcast of despair like she planned, Naegi bested her by being Super-High-School-Level Hope. He gave all of us hope, and it’s natural that his visage should be used to band the resistance together under something that could act as the polar opposite to Monobear’s image of despair.”

“But…it could just be that one image,” Naegi pointed out. “Your guys’s faces could pop up soon too.”

“Perhaps,” said Kirigiri. “But it’d be pragmatic to rally under one, especially one that comes with such a powerful slogan. _You must not lose hope_ … it’s a good cry to unite people under. I’d like to think it will catch on. Obviously it was put there by members of one of the stronger pockets of resistance to happen so fast and grandly.”

“But I never asked to be a…a symbol or a leader, is that what they expect?” asked Naegi helplessly. “I’m just a kid,”

“There’s no call for you to be a leader, not yet anyway,” Said Kirigiri, “But you can’t ignore the fact that you very well are to many people an inspiration, and have the potential to be an icon. And icons unite the people who have been scattered and separated. They give a face to the movement, a name to the cause.”

There was silence around the table as Kirigiri’s words sunk in. But they had all want to escape Monobear’s tortuous dictatorship, why had he been singled out like that? He hadn’t really _given_ his friends hope, per say. Just reminded them of it. Really, some might even say frantically reassuring it was all he was good for, in the end. When it came down to it they’d never have been able to get out of there without Kirigiri-san’s genius, it would make more sense for them to rally for her, if anyone.

But no. He had said some words that looked clever on a building…and according to Kirigiri that meant he held some sort of unifying power. Naegi thought of scared families, scattered across Japan and even the world, glued to their TV’s and rooting them on. He had a wild, embarrassing image of them painting his face on t-shirts like that South American revolutionary – what was his name? Naegi had never been great shakes at history. Suddenly he felt claustrophobic.

“But…what am I supposed to do?” He finally asked.

“Well…that’s up to you.” Said Kirigiri, watching him closely. “I only said that you have the potential to become the uniting symbol of hope, not that you are yet.”

“Reporting for duty, Kirigiri-san!” Alter-Ego’s voice crackled from the laptops speakers. Kirigiri walked to the washroom, rinsed out her bowl, and returned to the computer.

“Mono-bear’s TV signal is locked down and I am working on the encryption! Please insert several different passwords as I go through the last process!”

Kirigiri-san exhaled, looking immensely satisfied. Naegi thought he understood.

“You think I should go on air and say something to everyone, me personally. Don’t you?” He said. She met his eyes.

“Only if you agree.”

Naegi sat in silence and thought about it. He couldn’t help but just wholeheartedly feel that he was woefully unqualified for all this. Pre-everything that went wrong, the only responsibility he’d had was doing the dishes and setting a good example for his sister. Her smiling face popped into his mind.

_“Do well at school Onii-chan! I’m counting on you!”_

 After all he had done to hold them back since escaping the school, Naegi found tears in his eyes. He took his bowl to the bathroom to wash it in order to get away from the three pairs of eyes waiting to see what he would do.

Once there he closed the door and leaned against it. He closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted despite his long sleep.

 _If broadcasting a message helps unite people…I guess that’s something I should do,_ he thought. Deep down inside, though he had tried so hard to suppress having to thinking about it, he thought of his family. Maybe out there. Maybe alive.

His image on the building…it meant was what had seemed so big and impossible, yet so present all along. It was why, though he couldn’t remember it, they had all agreed to remain locked up inside the school while the world fell to pieces. That they all had some part to play in rebuilding and reuniting the world. And his started right here and right now.

Naegi washed his bowl and returned to his friends.

“I’m just saying, we’re still jumping to conclusions that this was some resistance instead of aliens,” Hagakure was insisting. Aoi elbowed him in the ribs as she saw Naegi approaching.

“Yeah,” He said, seeking out Kirigiri’s violet eyes. “Yeah let’s do it.”

“You’re sure?” she asked.

“I am.” He responded firmly. “There’s nothing more important than giving the world hope right now, is there? And…I mean, I don’t know if I can. But if you guys think I can give them hope, I mean. I’ll try.”

The corner of her mouth twitched up into the smallest smile.

“I think you can.”

“I know you can Naegi,” said Aoi earnestly. “Sakura-chan always believed in you.”

“Just don’t look straight at the camera,” Warned Hagakure, “If you do… bam! Aliens can directly do mind control through the airwaves!”

Naegi looked around at them all and smiled weakly.

“Okay. Just tell me what to do Kirigiri-san,”

And much sooner than Naegi really felt ready for, he found himself facing the little webcam port of the laptop, seated in one of the chairs pushed up against the empty wall on the far side of the compound. He had composed and practiced what he was going to say over and over again in his head for the past two hours, but even there (where he recited them strongly and without pause) they seemed awkward and unbefitting of live broadcast.

“Uh, I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” He said, as Aoi adjusted the beam of a reading lamp for the tenth time. She had gotten very enthusiastic about the plan. Suddenly he thought of something so blindly obvious he felt stupid and selfish for not realizing it before. “Wait – I definitely think you all should be on camera with me. It’d look weird if I was by myself.”

“Aaah, no you’ll do great Naegi-kun,” Said Aoi, turning pink. “I can’t look straight at a camera!”

“Please?” He appealed. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want, but I want you guys all on screen with me. I wish Togami-kun and Fukawa-san were here too, we escaped together after all. We’re supposed to be a team.”

He stood up, “I…really have to insist,”

Aoi looked at Kirigiri, who shrugged non-commitally.

“Alright then,”

Kirigiri dragged the second chair over, and when Aoi declined it, sat down herself, smoothing her skirt and clasping her hands neatly in her lap. Aoi stood beside her, looking stiff and awkward.

“Should we maybe call Togami-kun and Fukawa-san on the communicator?” Naegi asked. Kirigiri shook her head.

“It’d be impossible for the camera to pick up the picture from so far away.”

“They might have something they want to say, I think Togami-kun – ”

“Togami will no doubt have his chance later. It’s your turn to talk,” Kirigiri said. _I guess,_ Naegi shrugged and looked toward Hagakure, who remained unmoved sitting cross-legged on table behind the laptop.

“Please join us Hagakure-kun,” said Naegi.

“Eh…” He played with a clump of his matted hair non-committedly. “I’m, like, the camera-man, ‘right?”

“Oh come _on_ ,” said Aoi.

“Eeeh I don’t think so, I don’t think it’s a good idea to have my face all over the news. I’ve done some things I’m not proud of.”

“There is no more news,” she bristled, suddenly looking especially riled. “And Monobear – I mean Junko was broadcasting us this whole time anyway! Everyone knows what you did.”

“What?” Hagakure exclaimed. Aoi glowered at him.

“Oh…uh,” He looked shiftily away, “Still though…”

Aoi marched over to him and pulled on his arm roughly. He groaned, but slid off the table, slinking shiftily into the frame, looking anywhere but the camera.

“Uh, so are we ready?” Asked Naegi. Aside from handling the technical set-up of Alter-Ego, Kirigiri seemed to have completely taken a step back from what was about to happen. It was apparent she really thought he was supposed to take charge on this. He wished he felt as confident.

“…Alright,” He said when no one voiced their objections. “Uh, Alter-Ego? Put us on the air.”

“Yes sir!”

The screen flashed, _3_ , _2, 1…_ a light came on next to the small disc of the webcam. They were live. Naegi felt his heart suddenly thunder in his chest. Anyone watching right now, they were watching him.

“Uh hello!” He said a bit too loudly, realizing suddenly that seconds were passing. “Hello…uh, to everyone out there who still has hope. Or…or is looking for it.”

_Breathe._

“We found a way to use…well the old broadcasting signal because we wanted to send you guys a message.” Naegi said, his voice getting stronger. He realized he actually really _wanted_ to say these things. No, scratch that, he _had_ to say them.

“Thank you.” He said.

“Thank you,” repeated Kirigiri in a loud, clear voice.

“T-thank you,” stuttered Aoi.

“Uh, yeah, thanks?” said Hagakure sounding confused.

Naegi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. “From all of us, thank you to those watching who tried to free us…many of whom it seems lost their lives.”

And suddenly he was lost again as the awfulness of it all washed over him. “I hope…I hope that everyone who saw the broadcast didn’t fall into despair over the horrible things that happened, or lost faith in us because of what Monobear pushed our friends to do. I hope that didn’t happen…but I am immensely grateful for those of you who, perhaps, have believed in us until the very end. We’re all alive and safe right now, Togami-kun and Fukawa-san included, though they couldn’t share this broadcast with us today.”

He set his jaw firmly, trying to harden the determination that flared up in his heart into a mask over his face to prevent any tears from leaking out.

“We at Hope’s Peak were meant to be an inspiration to the world, a light in a dark time. I don’t remember what happened in the last two years,” He couldn’t help but shudder as he said the words. “None of us do. So I still can’t figure out why we agreed to isolate ourselves from the world. Perhaps by living some exceptional school-life while the world was falling to pieces we would have given the world hope – but what is there to hope for in people locked away to others struggles?”

He wondered. He still wondered.

“What happened was…one of the most terrible things I could ever – no I could _never_ have imagined. But I always lived a sheltered life. We don’t know what it is all of you went through on the outside. It was different than a school of forced killings… but it looks like it was terrible. The whole world has suffered, not just us. It’s amazing that there are those of you out there who have not lost hope. Who have hope in your family, friends, even us, a group of lost kids – uh, if you still do that is. That’s amazing that…that kind of thing, can endure.”

“I know that everyone might think that I’m Super-High-School Level Hope. And…well while I’m positive I’m not Super-High-School Level Luck, I don’t know if I’m the expert on hope either. I’m a little more optimistic than most but I don’t understand what makes people keep hoping or give up hope. All I know is what I feel, and hope that people feel. And that’s….that’s…”

He could feel his face red and hot. Finally the words came to him. “Caring about people. Friends…my family, people I…love,”

He was blushing hard now, mouth dry fighting to remember what to say, to stay in control. _Keep going, finish the broadcast._

“And even people I don’t know…Like, I know out there are a lot of good people out there. Enough to fill the world. People are…enough, I mean.”

“So…yeah.” Naegi found himself breathless. “We just wanted to all say thank you…and we all hope for the day when we can find each other. We want to find you and work and help, in any way we can.”

There was a beat. Then another. He could feel Kirigiri’s elbow discretely press against his ribs. He took a deep breath. He almost felt like an imposter, repeating those words which someone had chosen to immortalize across the city’s skyline. He wasn’t a leader, couldn’t be an icon. But those words really _did_ mean something. And they were all he had. They were the truest ones, anyway.

He looked straight into the camera.

“Please,” He said, forcing himself to smile. To be hopeful himself. Things would get better, he _knew_ they would.

“You must not lose hope.”

There was a small beeping noise and Alter Ego’s face appeared on screen.

“Broadcast has been ended, as requested Kirigiri-san. The broadcast will be re-run every hour for the next 48 hours.”

Naegi got to his feet, feeling drained and fairly self-conscious to have been pouring his heart out to the screen with his friends motionless on either side. Maybe not _quite_ motionless, he realized, turning and realizing that Aoi’s face was wet with tears.

“Th..that was great Naegi-kun,” She sniffled, smiling at him. Naegi looked away, embarrassed.

“Yeah, good job Naegi-kun, ” Added Hagakure. “How come you didn’t get entered into the school for Super-High School Level Public Speaking, ‘right?”

Naegi shook his head, incredulously. “No I’ve always been terrible at public speaking! I hardly even remember what I said now, now that I’ve said it.”

“Well they won’t,” said Kirigiri, sounding satisfied. “And because of that we’re one step closer to finding the people we want to find out there, the people resistant to Monobear’s despair and who are working to put civilization back together.”

“We are?” Naegi asked dubiously. Kirigiri shoulders twitched in an almost imperceptible shrug.

“I think so,”

“And the sooner that happens, the sooner we can properly put our classmates to rest!” Declared Aoi impassionedly.

“Yes,” replied Kirigiri.

Aoi turned back to Naegi. “That really _was_ amazing though, Naegi-kun. You inspire so much hope! I wish I could do something…”

“Hey, I’m gonna make some noodles. I’m hungry again. What time is it?” said Hagakure, sticking his head into the pantry.

“Probably past dinner! We should eat and try and sleep, if you all can manage it, so we can wake up early tomorrow. We need to get our circadian rhythms back on track!” Piped up Aoi, seeming to snap back from her melancholy.

“Yeah, I like that idea,” said Naegi. Despite having woken up so late, he felt exhausted again and his sore muscles ached.

They ate and assumed roughly the same positions they had awoken from, unable to think of a better arrangement – this time Kirigiri taking the bed and Aoi the floor beside her. Aoi eyed Hagakure’s proximity rather dourly before turning her head away and curling up on her side. Naegi couldn’t help but think with a hollow pang what Ishimaru would have had to say about boys and girls sharing a room like this. He suddenly felt despondent, who out there still would believe in them when they had let such terrible things happen to their classmates? Had he been so conceited as to think that making such a statement would give hope to anyone?

Though he felt again exhausted, this time sleep was harder to find. Everyone’s breathing seemed out of synch and more than a little ragged, as though fighting bodies which refused to let their guard down, stifling subconscious cries that tried to escape. Naegi figured they all were having similar nightmares, stained with red and raging hot loss. At school it had been fear that had been his thorny companion, alone in the night. Now, in this small room with other people, the fear seemed to be slowly but surely metastasized into some horrible, nausea-inducing fog of guilt and remembrances. Although no one said a word, the room felt like a pressure-cooker of angry white noise. The noise was inside of Naegi’s head, his mind filled with shouting as he tried to drown out his thoughts.

He felt like he was up all night, though the terrible confusing haze of dreams he found himself remembering meant he must have slept. When Kirigiri rose and began fiddling with a coffee maker pulled out from the pantry, he realized that a light had been turned on, and it must finally be morning.

“Naegi-kun!”

“Eh?!”Naegi sat up quickly from where his cheek had been pressed into the carpet, his eyes staring blankly at Kirigiri’s quiet movements. The call had come from Aoi, who he didn’t realize was towering over him on his other side.

“Will you come outside with me?”

“Eh?” He repeated, seeking out Kirigiri who didn’t look up from her examination of the coffee maker. “Is that okay?”

Kirigiri’s slender shoulders just shrugged.

“I want to do a few laps,” Insisted Aoi. “But we should go out as pairs.”

“Oh okay,”

“Don’t close the door if you want to get back in,” said Kirigiri as they climbed up the ladder.

Naegi blinked as the muffled blue light of dawn flooded into his eyes upon exiting the hatch. He crawled out from under the porch, and suddenly it felt much better to be awake out here, even in the misty and rather metallic smelling light of day, surrounded by a field of haggard plants, rather than down in the dark, stuffy box riding out the struggle to sleep.

“You should jog with me Naegi-kun,” said Aoi after they stood in silence, blinking at the surroundings as their eyes adjusted. “It’ll make you feel better,”

He nodded and they began jogging up the gravel path. Even though he was no great shakes at physical exercise, the steady pace that quickened his heart rate and his breaths calmed him immensely. He glanced at Aoi to tell her this, but she seemed to be intently staring into the distance at something that wasn’t really there.

“I don’t see any sakura trees around here,” Aoi she said anxiously after they decided it was best to turn back before reaching the main road. Naegi glanced around at the smattering of coniferous and (slightly brown and limp looking) deciduous trees. There wasn’t a sign of the signature pink blossoms which decorated springtime, where they should be if it was exactly 2 years since Naegi remembered arriving at Hope’s Peak.

“No, but there’s got to be some…somewhere, right?” He offered encouragingly.

“Yeah…” She bit her lip. They slowed down as they reached the shack again. Aoi stared up into the forested hills before them wistfully.

“I don’t think I can do it, live here.” She said. “In a hole in the ground. We should escape into the forest – don’t you think Naegi? Surround ourselves with wilderness. Look for a sakura tree while we wait out whatever’s going to happen with the resistance and…and the danger...”

“I…I don’t know,” Naegi startled, unsure how to reply. “Don’t you think it’s important to find people? And not be alone?”

Aoi stopped suddenly and gripped her forearms tightly to her chest. There was a pause as a gust of wind rushed through the trees and filled her silence.

“I’ve been alone since Sakura died,” she finally said, so quiet he could barely hear. His heart panged. Naegi wondered if he should hold her, like Maizono had wanted him to do so long ago. Suddenly he wondered how was it that her horrifying death seemed so near, so haunting, but her – the living person – seemed like such a faraway memory.

Sakura’s presence hadn’t seemed to have left Aoi, though. There seemed to be a hulking gap next to her wherever she stood, her eyes seemed to flicker to someone who wasn’t there. _They were best friends_ , he thought sadly. He thought he’d never seen any two girls closer.

“Backpacking!” She declared abruptly.

“…what?!” Naegi was startled from his reverie. A light of almost frightening determination had lit upon Aoi’s face.

“I used to go backpacking! That’s what I’m supposed to do now! I’ll gather up some camping stuff in a backpack, and go out into the woods for a week! Just a bit, then I’ll be back to help you guys with the resistance! I’ll find the tree and bring it back! Then I’ll be ready to open my donut shop and help rebuild the world!” She declared mightily.

Before Naegi could respond she had dashed away, dropped to her knees and entered the crawl space. _Just…go into the forest?_ Naegi followed a bit worriedly.

When he had shut the hatch door behind him and descended into the hideout again, Aoi was already speaking a rapid fire at Kirigiri, explaining her idea. Hagakure sat beside her, scratching his head.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to split up,” said Naegi, cutting in uncomfortably. “You shouldn’t be all on your own out there.”

“You can’t stop me!” said Aoi, rounding on him with sudden vehemence. Naegi threw up his hands.

“I…”

“I’m going and that’s that! You may have your destiny, Naegi-kun, but this is mine I know it!”

“I…I wasn’t…”He looked helplessly at the others.

“If you’re set on doing this,” said Kirigiri calmly. “We won’t stop you, of course. It’s true; the forest might be safer than out here. But I’d recommend not leaving just yet. You’ll need to go back into town and search for any remaining goods to supply yourself with. Be prepared and wary.”

“I know!” said Aoi, “I’ll go right now!”

“But it’s dangerous to go alone! No, I- I can’t let this happen!” Protested Naegi.

Aoi ignored him and wheeled around and made to go back up the ladder, but came to a dead halt instead.

“Does…does anyone want to join me?” She asked quietly, a note of trepidation in her voice as she turned around to look at them. “We won’t be gone long. This…this is the right thing to do! Finding the tree! We can still get back and help the resistance.”

There was a silence. _Maybe they_ could _all go…_ thought Naegi. Maybe Aoi was right and this was what they needed; to escape into the quietness of the woods for a while and bring back what would put their classmates to rest with dignity.

“I’m sorry,” said Kirigiri plainly. “But I need to be here. There’s a lot of detective work I’ve promised myself I’d do. For myself and for others out there who have resisted Despair. Despair ruined our lives. I know my job in fighting back is here.”

Naegi sighed. Kirigiri was right.

“….Kirigiri-san’s right, Asahina-san.” Naegi said with a sinking feeling. “No time can be wasted finding the resistance…for me, I think…Just please don’t go,”

Aoi looked frustrated and scared. Naegi was hopeful she might change her mind, it looked as though hadn’t really been prepared to go alone.

“W…well that’s fine!” She pressed on, “I said I’d go alone, and I will…I- ”

“Hey, I’ll go,”

Everyone turned to look at Hagakure. He was half raising his hand a little awkwardly, like a kid in school hesitant about whether his answer was correct or not.

“…what?” said Aoi, stunned.

“I said yeah, I’ll go, ‘right? I mean, I’m not going to be of any use to the resistance either. I could do with a few weeks backpacking,”

“I…I wasn’t asking you,” said Aoi, the shock in her voice taking on a bit of anger, cheeks reddening. Hagakure frowned.

“Look, you did, ‘right? You asked everyone and I was the only one to say yes!”

“I…well…” words seemed to fail her.

“I’m good at backpacking, okay? Once I backpacked across three cities doing fortunes and a spiritual quest for enlightenment. This’ll be the same thing.” Hakagure was starting to look confident in both his argument and idea now. He smacked his fist into his palm like he had had a stroke of genius. “Yeah…yeah I’ll go!”

“Well that’s settled then?” Said Kirigiri. She held out the walkie-talkie. “You two can take this. Naegi-kun and I will use the computer. Now all six of us can communicate as long as we’re in pairs.”

Naegi’s head was spinning as he watched Aoi look between the walkie-talkie and Hagakure. Everything was happening so fast. Naegi’s chest tightened. He willed Aoi to say that she had changed her mind – how could their already diminished group be breaking up again? Scattered to where again he couldn’t make sure his friends would be okay?

“…alright,” Said Aoi finally. “Alright, you can come.”

Naegi’s heart sunk – as if sensing this she turned and looked at him.

“Don’t worry Naegi-kun, we won’t be gone long.”

“I’m sure all of us will be back together sooner than we think,” said Kirigiri.

“Yeah, it’s like destiny, ‘right?” said Hagakure confidently. Naegi swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Yeah, yeah of course we will!” He said, allowing himself to smile. And with that smile he suddenly felt as though it was alright. He just had to stay positive, that was his only saving grace after all.  They had to go their separate ways for a while, but of course they’d survive such a brief separation – they’d survived everything thus far. And with Alter-Ego they really wouldn’t be so far apart.

Yes, Naegi thought hopefully. This was only the beginning of their new life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we've reached the end of 'The Beginning'! I hope you've enjoyed!
> 
> From here the series 'After Graduation' will split into 3 separate stories:
> 
> 'Searching for Sakura' will follow Aoi and Hagakure's backpacking trip through the dying wilderness in search of a tree to commemorate their dead classmates.
> 
> 'Prince of Hope' will follow Naegi and Kirigiri's quest to uncover the mysteries of Despair, the Resistance, and exactly what happened a year ago.
> 
> and finally 'Rotten Bonds' will follow Togami and Fukawa, as Togami tries to remake the world in his own image and realizes it might be a lot harder than he thought.
> 
> The stories will intertwine but I'm also planning them to function as their own independent stories, so you can follow all of them or just whichever interests you. I will attempt to update them all rather equally, but please let me know if there's one that you're more keen on getting an update from than another. If you've read this far, thank you so much - I hope I haven't let you down, and if you have any comments or critique I would be honored and humbled to hear it.


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